Can i get some advice please! Really URGENT! ?

Question

ive always loved watching zoo keepers specialising in certain animals and in their care eg. big cats........What are the career opportunities of Zoology?

ive just wanted to know after i study zoology in college what do i need to study after that to specialise in big cats.........

And im really confused between General Practioner and a zoo keeper...

I love animals and want a good future with a good job but i dont know my parents always tell me i should be a gp and kinda pressurise me into thinking its best for me although it is but ive always had a love and passion for animals and ive always wanted to save lives and make a difference between them.....My parents are afraid that i may not be as secure in such a job as i would be as a GP.

What are your opinions on this? My opinion is that im doing the job and noone else is and but im afraid that if i ever have a family that i could leave my kids wothout a mom because a small mistake with an animal.........

Thanks for you advice in advance.........

Answer 1

It's your life. Don't let anybody tell you what to do with it. You should take up the career YOU want, not the one someone else wants you to have - you're the one that's going to have to live with it, and if you're pushed into something you don't really want to do you could end up regretting it forever, and resenting those who pushed you into it.

That said, I feel I should point out that TV. shows about zoos paint a very unrealistic picture of what the job of being a zookeeper entails, making it appear that things like hand-rearing baby animals and knocking animals out for medical procedures happen every day. In reality, these things happen only rarely. The work is physically very hard, and you must work outdoors in all seasons and weathers. There is often little interaction with the animals you care for - the majority of the job is cleaning (picking up faeces, sweeping up straw, window cleaning, etc.). You also often do not have a choice as to which animals you work with - most zoos will simply take you on as a keeper and place you where you are needed, though you can request to work with certain animals if and when a position with them becomes available.

Also, a zookeeper's pay is generally quite poor - I used to be a zookeeper and earned minimum wage. Many people want to work with animals, so they don't need to tempt workers with high pay. The hours are long and you may not be paid for any overtime worked - in the zoo I worked at, you were paid only between 8am and 5pm, even if you arrived at 6.30am and didn't leave til 7pm. You are also required to work weekends and public holidays without additional pay. It is definitely not a job you do for the money.

To become a zookeeper you need to be able to work hard, not mind getting dirty (and I mean REALLY dirty!), and deal with people, in the shape of the public - this often requires a good deal of patience, as you will be asked the same question literally hundreds of times every day, and must always be polite however rude people are to you and however busy, tired and frustrated you are. It can be difficult to get a job as a zookeeper, since many people will apply for each position, but experience with animals will definitely help - most zoos are more interested in this than in qualifications. I got the job without any qualifications other than GCSEs. Having higher qualifications is no guarantee of getting the job (my boss told me he's had people come in with degrees who didn't know which end an elephant craps out of!), and not having them is no guarantee you won't get the job. Volunteering at a zoo or animal sanctuary is a good way of gaining experience.

  

Answer 2

don't let your parents tell you what to do with your life, they're probably trying yo 'live through' you. You sound like you'd be a great zoolagist. I want to do something in biolagy aswell. tell your mum and dad it's good money!

Answer 3

go with what you want to do. dont let anything stop you from what you feel is right for you.

if you decide to have a family, your husband will understand and know the risks. but if you guys decide the risks are worth it then you will go for it.  

Answer 4

To be a zookeeper, you don't have to have a college education. How much training does it take to become a pooper-scooper? If you plan to go to college, a zoology major will be fine, You could still shovel cat-droppings if you wanted to. However, that will give you four more years to decide what you want to do. You could go on for graduate work in zoology or you could go to medical school or veterinary school, or whatever else you decide to do. I'll tell you this much. You are now trying to decide between a minimum-wage job (or close to it) and one of the best-paid professions out there.